Things I have learnt: Garden edition

Last year (how odd to say that now) one of my partners (Scott) and I landscaped the back yard (finally) and built a vegetable garden from raised garden beds. We’re situated on an old flood plain, so our soil is clay – which although full of nutrients, isn’t the best soil for growing vegetables in necessarily, so is great for going squelch, squelch, squelch in when wet – so we covered that which doesn’t have raised garden beds with mulch to avoid tracking more mud into the house.

I joined Diggers, a gardening group which gives free seeds to members twice a year, and who specialise in heirloom seeds and plant varieties to ensure diversity in foodstock. I also joined because I love the idea of growing things that seem odd like Purple Dragon carrots, or striped eggplants.

I have learnt a whole lot of things while gardening and I want to share them so that when it comes to setting up the gardens next year, I don’t forget the lessons – and hey you might enjoy it too.

If you don’t cover the garden beds with a form of mesh, the cats will be so excited that you have provided them with the biggest litter tray ever – and any seedlings or seeds you have planted will be dug up

Even in winter, unless it has rained, you need to water the garden every other day – this will still take 30 minutes

Watering the entire garden takes 30 minutes, this is a problem in summer, because that’s enough time to start sunburn

Peas are tasty, but need to be on sturdy trellises so they don’t get blown down. Also six pea plants per trellis is too many – you end up with a pea forest that way.

Planting corn in a square is a great idea, but not with any corns in the middle – they don’t get any sun and don’t grow

Planting beans or peas around the corn stalks works really well

Eggplants like the sun and should be planted on the north side of the garden beds

Rockmelons like the heat and should be planted on the north side of the garden beds – they also have corners in their stalks, so they droop down over the garden beds easier – they LOVE water

Pumpkins on the other hand grow straight and aren’t happy about drooping over the edge of the garden bed

Plant WAY more broccoli, and plant them with nasturtiums to avoid them being eaten by caterpillars

LABEL YOUR SEEDLINGS. Capsicum, tomato, and eggplant seedlings all look the same (how surprising given they’re all nightshades), as do leeks and onions

Nigella/Kalonji doesn’t seem to like sun so plant on the south side of the garden beds, probably behind corn

Don’t plant 7 tomatoes – they take over the whole garden, and having 1 metre between each plant is not just a nice recommendation

Pay attention to how far plants should be planted apart

Don’t leave seedlings on the top level of the greenhouse in summer, stop growing seedlings in the greenhouse after the first 30C day

Celery and Celiarac are hard to grow, as are Paprika and chillies (this season anyway)

Carrots only grow properly when they have enough soil to grow in – put more soil in the garden beds

Eat the herbs you planted

Fertilise the garden beds with seaweed solution every two weeks

There is only so much room in the garden beds

My mother calls spring onions, shallots – which they aren’t

Carrots also like sun, so without that they don’t grow much, especially in winter

Corriander likes sun and the heat – plant in sunny spots

Once the tomato plants have taken over the garden beds, the ones you’ve also filled with marigolds, just keep watering them until they ripen – don’t worry about anything else in the bed

I don’t eat lettuce

If companion planting tomatoes and onions, leave room for the onions to not be crushed by the overenthusiastic tomatoes

Snails will eat lettuce seedlings and attempt to munch on your strawberries. Snail pellets are a saviour here.

When it is over 35C on any given day, water the garden twice a day.

Raspberries really need well drained soil – this is not clay. If they do decide that they like where you’ve planted them (one of the 8 plants I bought is thriving) then it will take over and become a little bramble patch – this isn’t a bad thing where I have planted them. Keep them watered well in hot weather.